


In Power, Protection

by arihime



Series: Twin AU [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 03:51:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16339286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arihime/pseuds/arihime
Summary: Chrom has a gift for his tactician before the battle with Gangrel.





	In Power, Protection

**Author's Note:**

> For Chrobin Week 2018 prompt "Books"
> 
> I have no idea where the title for this came from but whatever.
> 
> Thanks to Emma for giving me the idea for this.

The strategy meeting runs long into the night, and by the end Narcissus has backup plans upon back upon plans. The latest one blurs before his eyes as he tries to review it one more time, and he blinks the exhaustion away. There is no time for rest with the battle with Gangrel so close at hand.

He gets half way down the page before his vision starts to blur again. At the same time Frederick says, “We should call it a night. There’s no point in continuing this meeting if you’re falling asleep.”

Narcissus jerks upright (when did his head start to droop?), the paper falling from his hands. Beside him, Chrom sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

“You’re right. We need to rest before the battle.”

Narcissus stares at the map of the Plegian border before them, at all the markers scattered over the vast array, and then at all the sheets of paper stacked in front of him. A hundred more plans run through his mind, contingencies upon the contingencies already made. _Just one more plan,_ he thinks. One more, and maybe it’ll keep him from making the same mistake he made at the Plegian castle.

“You should sleep, Narcissus.”

Chrom’s voice is gentle but firm, and Narcissus nods.

“Alright,” he says, picking up the fallen page and placing in the stack with the others. “Alright.”

Narcissus stands and stretches, wincing as his body protests having stayed in one position for. . . Actually, he’s not sure how long they’ve been inside the tent. Long enough that the sounds from the outside have lessened, and the light coming from under the tent flap has turned to the yellow orange of torchlight.

Long enough that Aislin will scold him for staying up so late for sure.

There’s a rustle of paper behind him, and Narcissus turns to find Frederick collecting his plans in a neat stack.

“I’ll hold on to these, if you don’t mind,” Frederick says, then adds, “Good night, my lord, Narcissus.”

He walks out of the tent before Narcissus can even think to protest, and for a moment Narcissus just stands there, watching the tent flap swish closed.

“Did he just. . . ?”

Chrom chuckles. “He did. You would have kept working if he hadn’t, wouldn’t you?”

Narcissus probably would. In fact, he doesn’t need those plans to keep working. There is still blank paper around the table, still plans in Narcissus’ head. . .

An arm drops onto Narcissus’ shoulder. “C’mon,” Chrom says, guiding him out of the tent.

Narcissus goes without complaint, content to let Chrom steer him. If he leans further into Chrom than necessary while they walk, then it’s only because Narcissus is tired, and not because Chrom is wonderfully warm and—

“Wait, isn’t my tent over there?” Narcissus says, pointing behind them.

Chrom is leading them to his tent, and Narcissus is too tired to really comprehend it, too tired to stop his feet from going where Chrom leads, even though he knows he should stop.

(Knows that he shouldn’t read too much into this, not when Chrom is in love with Aislin.)

“I have something for you,” Chrom says, pushing the flap open. He lets go of Narcissus and continues inside, leaving Narcissus to watch as he rummages through a chest for something.

“This originally belonged to Ylisse, before it was traded to Ferox during my father’s rule. I spoke with both Flavia and Basilio, and they both agreed to give it back to Ylisse for now.”

Chrom stands, a fabric covered rectangle held in both hands. He crosses the distance between them and holds it out to Narcissus.

“I thought you could use it in the coming battle.”

Warmth floods through Narcissus’ body as he takes the object, a feeling that surges up his fingers, then his arms, before spiraling through his entire body. No, not just warmth, _power._

Slowly, he unwraps the fabric to reveal the tome hidden underneath. More power surges through him as he runs his gloved fingers over the symbol etched in gold on the cover. It’s a bolt of lightning, familiar and foreign at the same time. The power he feels is familiar as well, and Narcissus knows with a sudden certainty that he has seen and held and _wielded_ this tome before, felt its power answer his command so easily that it would be nothing at all to lift his hand and—

“Do you like it?” Chrom asks.

Narcissus nods, fighting down the sudden sense of deja vu. When he can speak again, he says, “This is powerful, Chrom. You’re really giving this to me?”

“Of course I am. Who else would I give it to?”

“Miriel for one. Or Ricken.” Even as he says the words, he holds the tome close, running a hand over the soft leather of the cover.

He freezes when Chrom puts a hand over his. “Narcissus. I meant this tome for you. Use it to keep yourself safe.”

He’s so close, only the bulk of the tome separating them. For all the warmth and power Narcissus had felt when he’d first grasped the tome, none of that can compare to the warmth of Chrom’s hand over his now.

“I—I—”

“Promise me you’ll stay safe out there.”

“Wha-what? Of course I will!”

“I mean it, Narcissus.” Up close, Chrom’s blue eyes are unwavering. “Promise me.”

There is grief behind the steadfastness of those eyes, in the way that Chrom squeezes his hand. Narcissus shifts his grip on the tome so he can squeeze Chrom’s hand just as tightly.

“I promise.” He won’t add to the grief in Chrom’s eyes. Not while he can help it. “But you have to promise me the same thing, Chrom. Stay safe.”

There will be no point in this victory if they lose Chrom in the process. More than that, Narcissus doesn’t think he would survive getting two members of the Exalted family killed on his watch.

Chrom chuckles. “Trust me, I have no intention of dying before I kill Gangrel.”

_And I have no intention of letting you die,_ Narcissus thinks. His grip on the tome tightens.


End file.
